In the case of internal combustion engines having injection systems, fuel injectors are conventionally used to provide a precise amount of fuel needed for combustion. Compressed natural gas (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “CNG”) is a common automotive fuel for commercial fleet vehicles and residential customers. In vehicles, the CNG is delivered to the engine in precise amounts through fuel injectors, hereinafter referred to as “CNG injectors”, or simply “fuel injectors.” CNG injectors of this type are described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,494,224, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. Typically, the CNG injector is required to deliver the precise amount of fuel per injection pulse and maintain this accuracy over the life of the injector. In order to improve the combustion of fuel, certain strategies are required in the design of CNG injectors. These strategies are keyed to the delivery of gaseous fuel into the intake manifold of the internal combustion engine in precise amounts and flow patterns.
It is believed that some conventional CNG injector designs have failed to achieve suitable the combustion of gaseous fuel injected into the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine. Specifically, such design of CNG injectors may reduce air flow or even cause back-flow of the air-fuel mixture into the internal combustion engine's intake plenum or into other engine cylinders thereby causing drivability problems.